Smart node for a distributed mesh network

Abstract

The invention relates to a smart node for a distributed mesh network, each node allowing two-way communication with other nodes or a central platform, and each node comprising a Linux or Linux-compatible computer hardware architecture and a software stack having a small footprint and low consumption of resources, using an object-oriented programming language to implement, by execution on the hardware architecture, the deployment of multiple nodes by neighborhood and critical mass effect, each node being iso-functional and capable of communicating with its neighbor, storing and managing an object, and receiving an execute statement from a program of another node in the mesh, said program associating a node-specific identifier and a neighborhood identifier with the communication module of each node.

1 . A smart node for a distributed mesh network, each node allowing two-way communication with other nodes or a central platform and each node comprising a computer hardware architecture and a software stack, using an object-oriented language, wherein the execution of said software stack on the computer hardware architecture implements a set of functionalities comprising at least the following functionalities:
 creating and managing, for itself or the other nodes of the mesh, objects adapted to industrial processes so as to control any type of process, the set of objects defined for the whole mesh and known to each of the nodes being referred to as a “object dictionary”;   storing and managing at least one object by each node for maintaining the current status of the object and using a stored list of neighborhoods of the nodes to which it itself is connected, for informing each neighboring node of the possible change of status of the object;   associating, with the communication module of each node, an identifier specific to the node and a neighborhood identifier, for making each node isofunctional and capable of receiving an execution order from a program of another node of the mesh;   
     
     
         2 . The smart node according to  claim 1 , wherein the set of functionalities includes the functionalities of booting and communication of each node via a communication module, in its immediate neighborhood thanks to a configuration with a minimum range of functionalities, of deployment of multiple nodes in a distributed mesh by critical mass and neighborhood effect and consisting in optimizing, by means of an algorithm executed on the hardware architecture, the number of smart nodes to be deployed and the number of their interconnections via neighborhoods for achieving the availability, robustness of deployment and the continuity of service required by the quality of service of a specific service. 
     
     
         3 . The smart node according to  claim 1 , wherein the systematic diffusion of data or commands takes place by configuration of the diffusion module of the node [Smart Node], this diffusion module being initially configured for implementing, by execution on the computer hardware architecture, a functionality of diffusion, within the network, of a variable or a given group of variables with a given resolution and to a given depth in the mesh, e.g. 3 or 4 levels of neighborhoods. 
     
     
         4 . The smart node according to  claim 1 , wherein it comprises a node manager managing the dynamic deployment of new functionalities and functionalities implemented by the software modules, executed on the computer hardware architecture, by monitoring and controlling the rebooting and security updates of a software module that would stop or die. 
     
     
         5 . The smart node according to  claim 1 , wherein each object belongs to at least one class which is a description of the characteristics of one or more objects representative of an industrial process or of a business characteristic, each object being created from this class and forming an instance of the class in question, the characteristics and the status of an object being handled by methods incorporated in the smart node the status of an object corresponding to the information stored at a given instant, as described by the values of the set of its properties, also referred to as fields or attributes. 
     
     
         6 . The smart node according to  claim 1 , wherein each node comprises a device including at least one software layer, said software layer implementing, by execution on the computer hardware architecture, a functionality of storing, in addition to information from the process sensors, an attribute indicating that the node concerned is a parent of the object referred to as a “parent node”. 
     
     
         7 . The smart node ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein each node comprises a device including at least one software layer, said software layer implementing, by execution on the computer hardware architecture, a functionality for informing each node in its neighborhood so that the neighboring nodes inform the other nodes following a path oriented in a direction that depends on the topology or specific architecture of the mesh, defining the links between the nodes of the network, and if necessary following a path oriented toward a central platform or toward the processes, each node, thus informing the rest of the mesh and each node thus storing the object, its current status and the parent node to which the object is assigned. 
     
     
         8 . The smart node according to  claim 1 , wherein said functionalities implemented by the node also comprise the diffusion in the form of time series, of the data collected or calculated by each node, said diffusion being performed by the association of two data diffusion modes: a “systematic” diffusion mode wherein the data are diffused with a given resolution and to a given depth in the mesh, and an “opportunistic” diffusion mode wherein at least one neighboring node of another node concerned by an initial data request, autonomously records the information or the data passing therethrough in its memory in order to rebroadcast said data or information when a similar request to the initial request is repeated, the pattern or scheme of diffusion of data diffused by the nodes being different from a systematic replication scheme wherein the data diffusion scheme is identically duplicated for all the nodes. 
     
     
         9 . The smart node according to  claim 1 , wherein each node is configured for implementing a planned functionality, of systematic logging of the data, but also storing actions that take place periodically or actions relating to the “opportunistic” diffusion mode in its memory, each node thus having the ability to behave autonomously for logging the data collected during actions taking place periodically or actions related to the “opportunistic” diffusion mode. 
     
     
         10 . The smart node according to  claim 1 , wherein each node has at least one interface for accessing an image of the “object dictionary”, this interface being configured for defining a new node or a new object for a node, the request for modification being diffused in the mesh and transmitted from one node to another up to the parent node concerned if the modification made to the dictionary does not relate to the node from which the manager is accessed, the parent node of the object then proceeding to the execution of the request, the result of the execution then being diffused in its turn in the rest of the mesh, each node receiving this result then updating its own image of the “object dictionary”. 
     
     
         11 . The smart node according to  claim 1 , wherein said functionalities implemented by each smart node comprise the rebroadcasting, via its diffusion module, to the rest of the mesh and at configurable time intervals, the status of its own objects, in order to compensate for any temporary or persistent break in communication in the mesh, this ability making it possible for the mesh to restore, where necessary, the integrity of the various images, associated with the various nodes in the mesh, of the “object dictionary”. 
     
     
         12 . The smart node as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the objects are handled without the modifications made to the status of an object do not use the status of another object or influence this one, each object having an access permission for any use or any entity of the industrial process, the attributes or definition fields of the objects being changed dynamically by the node manager. 
     
     
         13 . The smart node according to  claim 1 , wherein each object uses a method that defines a quality parameter associated with it, said quality parameter representing the difference between a desired target value of the status of an object and the actual status of the value, the desired status of an object being formalized by the request for modification of the status of said object, said request being formulated from any remote node even if it is not the parent node of the object, then transmitted to the mesh and from one node to another up to the parent node concerned, the execution of said request by the node concerned thus allowing each of the nodes of the mesh to retrieve the value of the actual status of an object and therefore to calculate its quality. 
     
     
         14 . The smart node according to  claim 1 , wherein each node of the mesh or the central platform comprises a device including at least one software layer, said software layer implementing, by execution on a computer hardware architecture, a functionality of connecting to any node of the mesh, by sending the identifier of the node to be modified, so as to remotely and dynamically modify the node concerned even if the user is connected to a node that is not the parent node of the object he wishes to modify. 
     
     
         15 . A set of smart nodes according to  claim 1 , wherein they are used in a universal, smart system of monitoring an industrial process comprising a central platform for mass data management for the acquisition, management and storage of a data lake and means of communication with a distributed mesh network consisting of smart nodes. 
     
     
         16 . The smart node according to  claim 1 , wherein each node is configured to perform the following functions:
 controlling process monitoring sensors or process monitoring programmable logic controllers or actuators and acquisition of the data therefrom;   data logging, formatting and decentralized calculations.